1912 in film
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| 1870s |
The year 1912 in film involved some significant events.
Events
- Mack Sennett, who had previously worked as an actor and comedy director with D. W. Griffith, formed a new company with New York City entrepreneur Adam Kessel called Keystone Studios. It would play an important role in developing slapstick comedy as the home to the Keystone Cops, English actor Charlie Chaplin, and others.
- May 18 - Shree Pundalik by Dadasaheb Torne, the first Indian film, is released.
- July 26 - Edison Studios releases What Happened to Mary, the first ever motion picture serial.
- October 31 - The Musketeers of Pig Alley, directed by D.W. Griffith, debuts as the first gangster film.
- Edison introduces the Home Kinetoscope, a home film-projector which uses a 22 mm print consisting of three rows of frames.
- Pathé releases Pathe Kok, their first entry into the amateur market, with a gauge of 28 mm.
- Alexander F. Victor improves on the 17.5 mm format with his Duoscope, which uses two center perforations instead of the typical one.
Films released in 1912
- All for a Girl
- At the Foot of the Ladder
- Aurora Floyd
- Baby Hands
- The Bandit of Tropico
- A Battle of Wits
- Beautiful Leukanida
- The Belle of Bar-Z Ranch
- A Business Buccaneer
- The Cameraman's Revenge
- Cleopatra, produced by and starring Helen Gardner (One of the earliest American feature film.)
- Conductor 786
- The Copper Beeches, starring Georges Treville as Sherlock Holmes
- The County Fair
- Conquest of the Pole, directed by Georges Melies
- Custer's Last Fight
- A Dash Through the Clouds
- The Deserter
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- For His Son, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Blanche Sweet
- Frankfurters and Quail
- From the Manger to the Cross, directed by Sidney Olcott (One of the earliest American feature film.)
- Geronimo's Last Raid
- The Girl and Her Trust, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Dorothy Bernard and Wilfred Lucas
- The Half-Breed's Way
- The Honor of the Family
- How a Mosquito Operates
- In Nacht und Eis
- The Independence of Romania The first Romanian feature film to run for two hours.
- The Invaders
- It Happened Thus
- Keystone Comedy
- The Land Beyond the Sunset
- The Lesser Evil, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Blanche Sweet
- The Little Girl Next Door
- Mabel's Lovers
- Making An American Citizen
- The Massacre, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Blanche Sweet and Lionel Barrymore
- Maud Muller
- The Miracle The first full-colour, full-length feature film (5,500 feet)
- Das Mirakel
- The Musketeers of Pig Alley, directed by D. W. Griffith
- A New Cure for Divorce
- The New York Hat, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore
- The Old Actor
- Oliver Twist (First American feature film. Its original run time was over an hour. Some parts of this film are currently lost.)
- Onesime, Clock-maker, directed by Jean Durand
- The Passer-By, directed by Oscar Apfel. Not the first moving camera shot, but it may be the first long-shot-to-close-up dolly moving camera shot. May also be the first dolly moving camera shot.
- Petticoat Camp
- Pilgrim's Progress
- Please Help the Pore
- The Power of Melody
- A Primitive Man's Career to Civilization
- Put Yourself in His Place
- Quo Vadis?, directed by Enrico Guazzoni (One of the early blockbusters in cinema. One of the earliest feature films.)
- Richard III (Second oldest American feature film. Currently the oldest completely intact American feature film.)
- Robin Hood
- Saved From the Titanic
- A Six Cylinder Elopement
- Standing Room Only
- The Star of Bethlehem
- The Street Singer
- The Tell-Tale Message
- The Thunderbolt
- An Unseen Enemy, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish
- The Voice of Conscience
- The Water Nymph, starring Mabel Normand and Mack Sennett
- What Happened to Mary?, starring Mary Fuller.
- When the Fire Bells Rang
- When the Heart Calls, starring Lee Moran, Russell Bassett and Louise Glaum
- With Our King and Queen Through India
- With the Mounted Police
- The Young Millionaire
Births
- February 19 - Saul Chaplin, film composer (died 1997)
- February 21 - Arline Judge, actress (died 1974)
- February 26 - Dane Clark, actor (died 1998)
- March 22 - Karl Malden, actor (died 2009)
- April 8 - Sonja Henie, Olympic ice-skater, actress (died 1969)
- April 18 - Wendy Barrie, actress (died 1978)
- May 9 - Pedro Armendáriz, actor (died 1963)
- May 18 - Perry Como, singer, actor (died 2001)
- May 23
- Marius Goring, actor (died 1998)
- John Payne, actor (died 1989)
- May 29 - Iris Adrian, actress (died 1994)
- June 1 - Doris Wishman, filmmaker (died 2002)
- June 26 - Jay Silverheels, actor (Tonto) (died 1980)
- July 4 - Viviane Romance, actress (died 1991)
- July 5 - Ilona Massey, actress (died 1974)
- August 2 - Ann Dvorak, actress (died 1979)
- August 12 - Samuel Fuller, director (died 1997)
- August 15 - Wendy Hiller, actress (died 2003)
- August 23 - Gene Kelly, actor (died 1996)
- August 29 - Barry Sullivan, actor (died 1974)
- September 5 - Kristina Söderbaum, actress (died 2001)
- September 21 - Chuck Jones, animator (died 2002)
- September 23 - Martha Scott, actress (died 2003)
- September 29 - Michelangelo Antonioni, director (died 2007)
- October 11 - Betty Noyes singer/dubber (died 1987)
- October 13 - Cornel Wilde, actor (died 1989)
- October 31 - Dale Evans, actress (died 2001)
- November 21 - Eleanor Powell, dancer, actress (died 1982)
- November 24 - Garson Kanin, writer (died 1999)
- December 11 - Carlo Ponti, producer (died 2007)
Deaths
- March 30 – Karl May, writer, Apache Gold
- April 15 – Jacques Futrelle, writer, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, (perished in the Titanic)
- April 20 – Bram Stoker, writer, Dracula
- May 14 – August Strindberg, writer, Miss Julie
- May 19 – Bolesław Prus, writer, Faraon
- June 1 – Philip Parmalee, actor (with Mabel Normand in A Dash Through the Clouds); pioneer aviator for the Wright brothers
- July 1 – Harriet Quimby, writer (seven scenarios for D.W. Griffith); actress in one film; pioneer American aviatrix
- December 14 – Harry Cashman, comedy producer and actor for the Chicago based Essanay company
Film debuts
- John Barrymore - The Dream of a Moving Picture Director (as Jack Barrymore)
- Frank Borzage - On Secret Service (short)
- Charlotte Burton - The Would-Be Heir (short)
- Lon Chaney - The Honor of the Family (short) (unconfirmed)
- Lillian Gish - An Unseen Enemy (short)
- Dorothy Gish - An Unseen Enemy (short)
- Louise Glaum - Brave Heart's Hidden Love (short)
- Mildred Harris - The Post Telegrapher (short)
- Cleo Madison - A Business Buccaneer (short)
- Mary Miles Minter - The Nurse (short) (as Juliet Shelby)
- Antonio Moreno - Iola's Promise (short)
- Warner Oland - Pilgrim's Progress
- Olga Petrova - Departure of a Grand Old Man (short)
- Victor Sjöström - director, A Ruined Life; actor, The Gardener
- Frederick Warde - Richard III